


Baby it's Cold Outside

by Biana_Delacroix



Series: Mistletoe and Champagne [6]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 00:30:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2793224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Biana_Delacroix/pseuds/Biana_Delacroix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's late, it's cold, but she knows she shouldn't stay. It doesn't stop Klaus from trying to change her mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby it's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

> This was written last year, so it ignores a lot of canon. Enjoy!

_I really can't stay_   
_(Baby it's cold outside)_   
_I gotta go away_   
_(Baby it's cold outside)_   
_This evening has been_   
_(Been hoping that you’d drop by)_   
_So very nice_   
_(I’ll hold your hands, they’re just like ice)_

  
  
The fire roared and crackled, casting a warm glow on the only two inhabitants of the large manor that Christmas Eve night. Klaus and Caroline sat on the floor, legs extended in front of them, basking in the warmth of the flames and the comfort of one another. An empty bottle of wine sat between them, a half-full bottle of whiskey was being shared between the two, the liquid loosening their inhibitions and causing their laughter to ring freely and their words to tumble over one another. Slowly, inch by inch Caroline found herself closer to Klaus until her shoulder bumped his, their thighs touched and she found that she didn’t mind one single bit. Their conversation wound down into a lull until the chime of the old grandfather clock in the hallway rung out and Caroline realized how late it was getting.

“ _Sooo_ …I should probably get going,” she said, her words regretful as she moved to get up but a large warm hand encased hers’ immediately. She turned to see Klaus staring at her intently, an easy smirk spreading across his face.

“Stay a while love, there’s no need to rush. Besides, it’s cold out there. ”

“Klaus, I should really get back to my hotel, I need to call my mom and wish her a Merry Christmas, and then tomorrow I need to call Bonnie-“

“These all sound like tasks that can be accomplished from here, love,” said Klaus, narrowing his eyes playfully. Caroline sighed, she knew he was right. There was absolutely no pressing reason for her to leave, but if she stayed, then she would be crossing a fine line, a line she had come closer and closer to crossing for the past year.

It was one thing to keep in touch by phone, to send letters or drawings, but when the days came that Caroline found herself visiting Klaus, spending the evenings catching up on what they had each been doing with their lives, that was when Caroline had to give up the pretense that she still thought of Klaus as the evil-hybrid who terrorized Mystic Falls. Now, he was her friend. And every time she saw him, she stayed later and later, and tonight…well, it was very late indeed.

“Maybe I could stay for just one more drink,” said Caroline with a small smile, and allowed Klaus to pull her back down, settling next to him and accepting the glass he put in her hand.

“Drink up sweetheart, it’ll keep you warm,” he said with a wink.

“You didn’t put something in this, did you?” she asked, teasing him right back, a little surprised at her own playfulness. 

“Would I even need to?” he fired back and they laughed over their drinks, Klaus settling his arm around her shoulders. “We come a long way from Mystic Falls you know,” he said, almost nostalgically.

“Don’t tell me you actually miss ‘small town life’?” said Caroline with a snort. Mystic Falls would always be her home, but the world was a big place, and seeing it all was taking up most of her time. “I thought New Orleans was your ‘kingdom’?”

“Oh it is, don’t doubt that and I’m still waiting for the day you pay it a visit,” he said, nudging her lightly, “but I what I meant was that you and I – we’ve come a long way.”

It was the truth, they had come a long way to get to the comfort level they had now. But his comment on New Orleans rankled her, just a little. It had been so long since she had allowed herself to dwell on the mess of hybrids and witches schemes and hurt feelings over a baby that had never even existed in the first place. That had been a dark time. It was so easy to just meet with Klaus whenever he was travelling in the same area she was (which happened too often to simply be coincidence,) that she hadn’t thought about ever going to New Orleans with him. Now she let the thought bounce around her head a little – would it really be so bad?

Feeling a little too hot suddenly, she pulled away from Klaus, catching the hurt that flashed in his eyes. “I really should go,” she said gently, standing up. “But thank you for a great night, and Merry Christmas.” She had barely walked a step before a hand wrapped around her wrist in a death grip and Klaus spun her around, staring down at her with frustration.

“Don’t do this again, Caroline!” he demanded, gripping her forearms tightly. “Don’t just run away _every_ single time you think that the idea of you and me could become a reality. I’ve allowed it in the past but no more – you know you’re more than ready!” His voice was angry, pleading, and desperate, and Caroline found herself trapped within his stare.

“It’s not up to you to decide when I’m ready,” said Caroline, desperate to break the emotional hold he had on her. “Besides, my friends, what would they say? They’ll be suspicious, they’ll think-“

“Who cares what they think?! What do _you_ think?” Klaus implored.

“I think- I…” she broke off, her heart racing, her breathing becoming labored. This was it, the point of no return, if she ran now she knew instinctively that he wouldn’t be so willing to give it another shot. She looked up at him, and it was the pure sincerity in his eyes that broke her.

“My friends know I’m visiting you, and if I don’t call soon…well, I guess they’ll figure it out,” she said softly, a smirk curving her lips. She barely had time to appreciate the shock on his face when he pulled her impossibly closer and crashed his lips against hers, wrapping his arms around her waist, while hers wound around his neck, their tongues battling for dominance, tasting the whiskey on each other’s breath but not caring. They absorbed each other, letting the weight of the past lift off their shoulders, and enjoying the uninhibited pleasure of finally, _finally_ getting their chance.

Eventually, they did pull apart, and Caroline laughed softly, basking in the warmth of Klaus’ body and not protesting a bit when he pulled her back to the couch in front of the fire, his hands trailing up and down her body, his lips finding exposed skin and making their mark. “I guess I’ll be staying the night,” said Caroline coyly, and Klaus grinned wolfishly.

“Good thing too sweetheart, best to stay as warm as possible – it’s cold outside.”


End file.
